Succesful completion of the Ormskirk platform upgrade and track remodelling

20th November, 2018

The first phase of line closures on the Merseyrail network to prepare for the arrival of new ground-breaking trains were successfully completed on 10th November 2018. Upgrades to the platforms and remodelling of the track took place at Walton, Orrell Park, Aintree, Old Roan, Maghull, Town Green, Aughton Park and Ormskirk stations.

Andy Heath, Managing Director at Merseyrail said:
“It’s fantastic news that the Ormskirk line is now ready for the new fleet of trains and we’re pleased that passengers now have their usual service restored when it was promised. A lot of work had gone into minimising disruption as much as possible while this work took place, and both high-quality rail replacement buses and our customer service staff were available to help keep everyone moving.”

“This is the largest investment in the network since the 1970s and is vital to prepare it for the arrival of the new state-of-the-art trains in 2020 which includes pioneering sliding step technology which will result unassisted access for all our passengers.”

West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper said:
“My constituents will be very pleased that normal service will resume for those passengers using the Ormskirk line, following the completion of the platform upgrade work. This represents good progress in bringing new trains on to the network and the future extension of services to Skelmersdale which will be very welcome when they arrive.”

As announced by Merseytravel on Monday the successful completion of the Ormskirk work will now be followed by another 10 stages on both the Northern and Wirral lines, until their completion next June. The work will involve re-modelling a total of 100 platforms and realigning track at 58 stations.

The new trains will be faster, safer, more comfortable than ever, and able to carry 50% more passengers. Getting you there safely is at the heart of what Merseyrail do. Your new trains will have extensive CCTV, the carriages will be open, light and bright and you can see right down the train. They will have wider aisles with better space for wheelchairs, bikes prams and luggage. These new trains will boost the regional economy by £70million every year, create around 1,000 new jobs, and make Merseyrail the most accessible rail network in the UK.